Svitzer, a company that operates tug boats in Geelong, have sacked their entire workforce in an attempt to replace secure, well-paid jobs with labour hire workers on less pay and with no job security.
Tug operator jobs in Geelong have been a source of secure work for local workers, but Svitzer is exploiting the gaps in our industrial relations system to strip pay, conditions and security from workers.
The MUA is fighting hard to reverse the company’s decision and reinstate these workers – the Morrison Government should also be stepping up and protecting workers at Svitzer and across the country by outlawing the use of labour to replace permanent jobs with lower paid insecure jobs.
Quotes attributable to ACTU Secretary Sally McManus:
“The use of labour hire to undermine good, secure jobs is a systemic problem which is undermining the pay, conditions and security of working people in every sector of the economy.
“We call on Svitzer to resolve this issue with the MUA, Australians are sick of secure jobs being replaced by labour hire and all unions will be joining the campaign to stop it.
“The Morrison Government also needs to act to defend job security and put an end to these labour hire rorts.”